A Christmas Carol
.]] .]] A Christmas Carol is a sentimental short novel, written by Charles Dickens in 1843. The book attracted instant popularity, and has endured across the decades. The tale of the redemption of miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly encounters has been reworked, remade, parodied, and referenced in countless subsequent stage, print, and film works, including several Muppet productions and products. Adaptations * The Muppet Christmas Carol is an elaborate, feature-length adaptation of the book, as presented by Gonzo as Charles Dickens. It incorporates most of the key characters and scenes, and often word for word dialogue from the book. One of the more notable alterations was changing Jacob Marley to Jacob and Robert Marley, to accommodate both Statler and Waldorf. * A Sesame Street Christmas Carol, a 2006 direct-to-DVD production, features Oscar the Grouch in the Scrooge role, with Rhubarb the Grouch as the Grouch of Christmas Past, Christmas Carole as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Sam the Super Automated Ghost of Christmas Future. * The 1979 special A Special Sesame Street Christmas incorporated many elements of the story, including a crippled kitten named Tiny Tim. To win round a typically grouchy Oscar, celebrity guests portray the ghostly visitors. Anne Murray appears as the Ghost of Christmas Past, who shows Oscar his childhood (with Leslie Uggams as his nurse); Imogene Coca plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, with alarm clocks strapped to her attire; and Dick Smothers is the Ghost of Christmas Future. * The Sesame Street Storytime Calendar 1982 featured Sesame Street characters re-enacting the tale, to illustrate the month of December. * ''Muppet Magazine'' issue 5 includes the story, A (Sort of) Christmas Carol, as illustrated by Dean Yeagle with text by Ellis Weiner. * The 1987 book and tape set A Sesame Street Christmas includes the story "Oscar's Christmas Carol (A Dickens of a Story)". Oscar reads A Christmas Carol for the first time and is enthralled by Mr. Scrooge, who reminds him of his Uncle Smarmy. Oscar is subsequently disheartened when he finds out that Scrooge reforms. * A Very Muppet Christmas included a short version of the story entitled, "Yet Another Christmas Carol." References * Sheep play a role in The Muppet Show episode 417, an animal whose vocalized call is often phoneticized as "baa". Following the "Rama Lama Ding Dong" number, Statler and Waldorf play off of a sheep's cry with a paraphrased version of Ebenezer Scrooge's catchphrase: "Baa, baa!" "Humbug, humbug!" Later, while Scooter practices for his forthcoming performance of "Six String Orchestra", the sheep appears at his window and repeats the line he learned from his visit to the box seats. * In episode 108 of The Jim Henson Hour, Fozzie Bear meets a head-less ghoul in his motel room who, after re-attaching his head, heads to a power breakfast with the Ghost of Christmas Past. * In Let's Play School, Oscar operates the Ebenezer Scrooge Elementary School. * In the Dinosaurs episode "Refrigerator Day," Baby Sinclair does an impersonation of Tiny Tim at the end of the Sinclairs' pageant, complete with costume and crutch. He says "And God bless us, everyone" before falling onto the floor. * It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie referenced the story in passing, through its Moulin Rouge! spoof "Moulin Scrooge." Sam the Eagle appears as banker Baron von Scrooge. Connections Several actors who have appeared in Muppet/Henson productions have performed in Christmas Carol-based productions. *Jason Alexander played Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol (2004, TV) *Wayne Allwine voiced Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit, Mole, and a gravedigging weasel in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) *Annette Badland played Mrs. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV) *Timothy Bateson played Mr. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (1984, film) *Geoffrey Bayldon played a toyshop owner in Scrooge (1970, film) *Bob Bergen voiced Porky Pig (in the Bob Cratchit role), Tweety Pie (as one of the ghosts of Christmas Past), and Speedy Gonzales in 'Bah Humduck!: A Looney Tunes Christmas' (2006, video) *Theodore Bikel voiced Jacob Marley in The Stingiest Man in Town (1978, TV) *Jim Carrey voiced Scrooge and all three ghosts in A Christmas Carol (2009, film) *Geraldine Chaplin played the Ghost of Christmas Future/blind beggar in A Christma Carol (TV, 2004) *Tim Curry played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1997, animated video) *Jamie Farr played Jacob Marley in Scrooged (1988, film) *John Franklyn-Robbins played Crump in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV) *Paul Frees voiced the stage director, the charity man, and Fezziwig in Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962, TV) *Stephen Garlick played a child in Scrooge (1970, film) *Louise Gold puppeteered Iris who played Mrs Cratchit in Roland Rat's Christmas Carol (1986 TV) *Kelsey Grammer played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (2004, TV) *Joel Grey played the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV) *Buddy Hackett played Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooged (1988, film) *Ron Haddrick voiced Ebenezer Scrooge in an Australian animated version from 1969 and again in the Burbank films animated version from 1982. *Phillip Hinton voiced Bob Cratchit in the Australian animated version (1982, TV) *Michael Hordern played Jacob Marley in Scrooge (1951) and A Christmas Carol (animated, 1971) and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1977, TV) *Gordon Jackson played the nephew's friend in Scrooge (1970, film) *Jane Krakowski played the Ghost of Christmas Past/streetlamp lighter in A Christmas Carol (TV, 2004) *Stefan Ljungqvist played Scrooge on stage in Sweden *Jesse L. Martin played the Ghost of Christmas Present/ticket seller in A Christmas Carol (2004, TV) *Ian McNeice played Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV) *Gerard Parkes played Jessup/Ghost of Christmas Present in An American Christmas Carol (1979, TV) *Patricia Parris voiced Daisy Duck as Isabelle in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983, TV) *Edward Petherbridge played Foster in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV) *George C. Scott played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1984, film) *Hal Smith voiced Goofy as Marley's Ghost and Ratty in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983, TV) *Elizabeth Spriggs played Mrs. Riggs in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV) *Patrick Stewart played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1999, TV) *Paddy Stone staged the musical numbers and played the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in Scrooge (1970, film) *Anthony Walters played Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol (1984, film) *Zoe Wanamaker played Belle in A Christmas Carol (1977, TV) *David Warner played Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol (1984, film) *Orson Welles played Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" on The Campbell Playhouse (Dec. 23, 1938; radio) *Henry Winkler played Benedict Slade in An American Christmas Carol (1979, TV) *Edward Woodward played the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol (1984, film) __NOWYSIWYG__ Category:Literary References Category:Christmas References Category:Literature